Farmers’ stir: Ensure women, kids, elderly not used as shields: Haryana police to Punjab

Haryana police urge Punjab police to keep vulnerable groups away from protest sites at interstate borders; ban on heavy machinery to prevent security risks.

The Haryana police on Tuesday told its Punjab counterpart to ensure that women, children and senior citizens are stopped at least a kilometre away from the conflict points at interstate borders - Shambhu and Khanauri, where farmers marching towards Delhi are camping.

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In a communication to Punjab director general of police (DGP), Inspector General (law and order), Haryana, Hardeep Singh Doon said that they have credible information that protestors may keep women, kids and senior citizens in front of the agitation to deter the police from taking action. “If the farmers resort to forcefully removing the barricades, then the police will have no option but to take legal action against them. This may lead to avoidable risk of injury or hardship to women, children and senior citizens. To avoid such a happening, it is requested that women, children and senior citizens may kindly be stopped at a safe distance (minimum one km) from the conflict points on the interstate borders in the interest of their safety,’’ the communication said.

No heavy earthmoving equipment to be allowed to reach borders

In another communication to Punjab DGP, the state police said modified heavy earthmoving equipment have been acquired by protesting farmers and deployed at the border locations where the protestors are camping. “These machines are meant to be used by the protesters to damage the barricades thereby posing serious danger to the police and paramilitary forces deployed on duty. It is likely to compromise the security scenario in Haryana. In view of the above, you are requested to take necessary steps to seize these machines from the protesting sites at the interstate borders and take preventive steps so that heavy machinery which may cause harm to security forces are not allowed to reach the protesting sites,” the February 20 communication said.

The Haryana police said that the owners or operators of such equipment may be strictly warned to not provide services of their equipment to the protesting farmers as the same would amount to a criminal act and they would be criminally liable for the same.

Meanwhile, the Punjab DGP in a communication to district police chiefs, police range heads and commissioners of police have conveyed that no heavy earthmoving equipment should be allowed to reach the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri and Shambu. “Immediate steps be taken to stop the movement of heavy earth moving equipment. Inputs indicate plans of the protestors to storm the barricades of Haryana police and enter Haryana, a move which would disturb law and order situation in both the states. These instructions were reiterated after receipt of written request from the Haryana DGP,” the communication said.

Internet ban extended till Wednesday midnight

Meanwhile, the Haryana govt on Tuesday extended the shutdown of mobile internet services and bulk short messaging service (SMS) in seven Haryana districts for another 24 hours till February 21 midnight.

The districts affected by the shutdown, include Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. As per an order, voice calls, internet services provided by broadband and lease lines, and individual short messaging text are exempted from the shutdown.